Calvary Mater Newcastle Hospital

Several different doctors may care for your loved one during their stay in the ICU. This care is coordinated by a doctor who specialises in Intensive Care Medicine. One Intensive Care Specialist works in the unit each day Monday to Friday 8am to 5pm. After hours and on weekends and public holidays an intensive care specialist is on call and can be contacted by phone or pager.

We also have five junior doctors who work in the unit 24 hours a day, 7 days per week. These doctors are rostered to work 12 hour shifts, either 8am to 8pm or 8pm to 8am. These doctors are usually training in Intensive Care or anaesthesia.

Nurses in Intensive Care are specially trained to work with critically ill patients. A nurse is usually allocated to just one or two patients and has constant access to information about them. Patients connected to a ventilator to help them to breathe will have one nurse allocated to care for them. If you have any questions or concerns, no matter how trivial, speak to the nurse allocated to the care of your loved one.

Allied Health Professionals also work in the Intensive Care Unit. The Physiotherapist assists in the treatment and rehabilitation of the patient while they are in ICU. This treatment will generally continue after the patient is transferred to the genearl ward. The Social Worker can help you to obtain care for other family members who may need it, discuss financial resources and assist with other problems or difficulties that may arise. Our Pastoral Care workers offer emotional and spiritual support for patients and their family

The administration of the Intensive Care Unit consists of:
Acting Director Intensive Care  Dr Katrina Ellem
Staff Specialist Intensive Care: Dr Tim Stanley
Staff Specialist Intensive Care: Dr Jorge Brieva
Staff Specialist Intensive Care: Dr Ray Asimus
Staff Specialist Intensive Care: Dr Alan Rashid
Staff Specialist Intensive Care: Professor Geoff Cutfield
Nurse Unit Manager Intensive Care: Ms Leanne Bradford

Visitor Services 

• Visiting Hours
• Mobile Phones
• Waiting room
• Flowers
• Visitor Accommodation
• Support services (eg social worker/Pastoral Care)
• Phones
• Finding the ICU

Other Hospital Services

Our hospital also has a 6 bed Coronary Care Unit for patients with heart problems.

Visiting in ICU

Ideally visiting is restricted to the patient's immediate family members and significant others. In general, small children are not encouraged to visit the ICU.
We restrict visitors to 2 people at one time because of the limited space and added stress to the patient. Admission to the unit at any time is at the discretion of the ICU staff. Visitors are asked to observe requests from the staff to leave the unit if this is in the best interest of your loved one or other patients. Caring for patients in Intensive Care requires constant monitoring  and frequent reassessment that cannot occur in the presence of visitors in the room. Visiting times are strictly 11am to 1.30pm and 3.30pm to 8pm.

These hours enable time for change of shift among medical and nursing staff, patient X-rays and doctors' rounds to be attended before visiting commences. The unit is closed to visitors between 1.30pm and 3.30pm to enable both patients and relatives to have a rest period. Visiting hours are strict and altered only in extreme circumstances. Maintaining patient confidentiality is very important to us.

Waiting Room

The waiting room is located down the corridor from ICU. A telephone is available for making local calls. We ask you to limit its use to emergency calls only. The staff will sometimes ring the waiting room to inform you that you may visit your loved one.

There are facilities for visitors to stay overnight if their loved one is critically ill. We attempt to limit the use of this facility to visitors who live long distances from the hospital. We encourage visitors to return to their home at night so they can rest in familiar surroundings.

What Personal Effects Will Your Relative Need?

In general, your loved one will need only personal toiletries while in ICU. Because of a lack of storage space you will be asked to take home any possessions that are not required during their stay. Please ensure any valuables are checked with the staff and then taken home.
It is also useful if you can bring in your loved one's usual medications for the doctor to review during their stay in ICU. These will be checked and returned to you to take home.

Telephone Enquiries

The telephones in the ICU are in constant use and may be required in an emergency. Therefore if possible it is best for one member of the family to telephone the ICU and then contact the rest of the family with information on the patient's care and condition.  A portable phone is available for patients to speak to their loved ones if their condition permits.
 Relatives are not permitted to use the phones in the ICU for personal calls. The best time to phone for new information is after 11am. The doctor will have seen your loved one and have the results of X-rays and blood tests and will be able to plan your loved one's care for the day. You are welcome to phone at any time of the day or night to enquire about your loved one/s condition.

Other Hospital Services

Our hospital also has a 7 bed Coronary Care Unit for patients with heart problems.

Visiting in ICU

Visiting is restricted to the patient's immediate family members and significant others. In general, small children are not encouraged to visit the ICU because they often have infections that ICU patients do not have the strength to fight, and because the ICU potentially be a dangerous place for small children.

We restrict visitors to 2 people at one time because of the limited space and added stress to the patient. Admission to the unit at any time is at the discretion of the ICU staff. Visitors are asked to observe requests from the staff to leave the unit if this is in the best interest of your loved one or other patients.Caring for patients in Intensive Care requires constant assessment and reassessment which cannot occur in the presence of visitors in the room. Visiting times are strictly 11am to 1.30pm and 3.30pm to 8pm.

These hours enable time for change of shift among medical and nursing staff, patient X-rays and doctors' rounds to be attended before visiting commences. The unit is closed to visitors between 1.30pm and 3.30pm to enable both patients and relatives to have a rest period. Visiting hours are strict and altered only in extreme circumstances.

Waiting Room

The waiting room is located down the corridor from ICU. A telephone is available for making local calls. We ask you to limit its use to emergency calls only. The staff will sometimes ring the waiting room to inform you that you may visit your loved one. The waiting room telephone number is (02) 49211839.

There are facilities for visitors to stay overnight if their loved one is critically ill. We attempt to limit the use of this facility to visitors who live long distances from the hospital. We encourage visitors to return to their home at night so they can rest in familiar surroundings.

What Personal Effects Will Your Relative Need?

In general, your loved one will need only personal toiletries while in ICU. Because of a lack of storage space you will be asked to take home any possessions which are not required during their stay. Please ensure any valuables are checked with the staff and then taken home.

It is also useful if you can bring in your loved one's usual medications for the doctor to review during their stay in ICU. These will be checked and returned to you to take home.

Telephone Enquiries

The telephones in the ICU are in constant use and may be required in an emergency. Therefore if possible it is best for one member of the family to telephone the ICU and then contact the rest of the family with information on the patient's care and conditionA portable phone is available for patients to speak to their loved ones if their condition permits.

Relatives are not permitted to use the phones in the ICU for personal calls. The best time to phone for new information is after 10am. The doctor will have seen your loved one and have the results of X-rays and blood tests and will be able to plan your loved one's care for the day. You are welcome to phone at any time of the day or night to enquire about your loved one/s condition.